How do you build your own solar panel?

A:

Quick Answer

Build a solar panel by first creating a template for it, and then by putting a frame together and assembling the solar cells. Create holes for the connections before gluing the solar cells. Afterward, the electrical component must be assembled.

To create a solar panel template, find a piece of regular plywood, a piece of cardboard the size of a solar cell, some tile spacers and a staple gun. Tile spacers help give solar cells even spacing on the template.

Once the template is done, start the construction of the frame. Putting pieces of plywood on top of pressure-treated plywood and screwing them down is one way to create the frame. Make sure to cut pieces that fit each other. A 1-by-2-by-8 piece of plywood works well on top of 2-by-4 pressure-treated plywood. Next, sand the frame and apply deck and siding paint.

Assemble the solar cells knowing that the bottom of the solar cell is the positive side while the top is the negative side. Connect the cells in a series, as this provides a certain number of watts. Drill holes in the frame to allow for negative and positive connections to run out and glue the solar cells down with silicone.

To construct the electrical component, gather a charge controller, deep cycle battery and inverter. After connecting those to each other, install a junction box, which is found on most solar panels. Finally, mount the panel to the roof.